Anchor light



Dec. 29, 1964 J. w. LAIRD 3,162,870

ANCHOR LIGHT Filed Dec. 11, 1963 I N VEN TOR.

United States Patent O 3,162,870 ANCHR UGHT .l'arnes W. Laird, R0. Box963, Kountze, Tex. Filed Dec. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 329,830 5 Claims. (Cl.9 8) This invention relates to signaling devices and more particularlyto an anchor light for indicating where a ship or the like sank.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an anchor lightwhich will automatically be released from the craft which is sinking andwill automatically unwind a nylon line secured to an anchor to hold thedevice in place to indicate the exact spot at which the vessel or othercraft sank.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an anchor lightwhich will have self-contained battery means and light means forilluminating the upper extremity of the device so that it may be readilyseen.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an anchor lightwhich will automatically release the nylon line and anchor by floatmeans integral of the device, the oat sliding the self-contained batteryupward to contact the electrical contact secured to the lamp in theupper extremity of the device.

Other objects lof the invention are to provide an anchor light bearingthe above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimumnumber of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and eiiicient inoperation and use.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention,reference may be had to the following detailed description, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FlGURE l is a vertical view of the present invention shown in elevationand in section; and

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of FIGURE l.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, an anchor light made inaccordance with the present invention is shown to include an elongatedcylindrical case 12 made of aluminum or other suitable material havingan upper end wall 14 which has a lens 16 secured thereto. A reflector 18within hollow lens 16 aids in reflecting light from lamp 19 Within thehollow lens 16. A bottom end wall 28 is ixedly secured to the lowerextremity of case 12. Case 12 is provided with a plurality of openings22 which provide means for the entrance of water when the device is inoperation. An anchor cage 24 secured to end wall 2i) within case 12 isprovided with a plurality of 'openings 26 which allow the entrance ofwater taken in from a circular opening 28 through end wall 20 when thedevice is in operation. A pyramid-shaped anchor 38 is encased withinopening 28 and anchor cage 24 and is secured to a nylon line 32 which isreceived through opening 34 of anchor cage 24, and line 32 is receivedaround reel 36 which is freely and rotatably received upon an elongatedshaft 38. Shaft 38 is fxedly secured Within an opening 40 in case 12 andprovides support means for reel 36. A recess 42 in case 12 oppositeopening 40 provides a means for a foldaway crank handle 44 to bereceived, and crank handle 44 is secured to crank shaft 46 which issecured to one half of a tooth clutch 48, the other tooth half of clutch48 being secured to the end of shaft 38. A coil spring 50 is freelyreceived on shaft 38 and urges against the half of clutch 48 secured toshaft 38 at one end and springingly urges against a shoulder 52 of shaft38. A projection 54 extends downwardly at right angles from a float 56slidably received within case 12 and projection 54 engages an extendingpin 58 of reel 36 and prevents reel 36 from rotating until waterentering case 12 raises oat 56. loat 56 is provided with a plurality ofgrooves 60 which freely and slidably receive a pair of opposite/lyopposed rails 62 secured to the inner periphery of case 12 and provideguide means for float 56. A long-life battery 64 received within case 12is received within a battery guide case 66 which is provided with aplurality of grooves 68 which thus slidably receive rails 62. Battery.64 is provided with a pair of pointed terminals 70' which, when float 36raises guide case 66, snappably engage V-shaped contacts 72 secured toend wall 14 of the device. Contacts 72 are secured by wires 74 and '74ato lamp 18 in the well known manner and form a series circuit withbattery 64 when contacts 70 of battery 64 engage contacts 72 of end wall14.

In operation, anchor light 10, when a vessel or other craft it isresting on sinks, will ll with water by means of the openings 22 throughcase 12 and through the opening 28 and opening 26 of the lower extremityof case 12. The Water then raises oat 56 raising projection 54 from pin58 of reel 36 and allows anchor 38 to descend. The clutch teeth ofclutch 48 will be urged away from each other during the descent ofanchor Sil. Simultaneously, as the aforementioned action occurs, thefloat 56 urges battery case 66 and battery 64 upwardly to engageelectrical contacts 70 of battery 64 to electrical contacts 72 of endwall 14 and the lamp 19 lights and will indicate by visual means theexact position where the vessel or 'other craft went down.

When anchor light 10 is retrieved, crank handle 44 when rotated, willraise anchor 30 due to the half of clutch 48 engaging and lockingtogether.

It shall be noted that solar cells may be incorporated within anchorlight 18 to increase the endurance of battery 64.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as dened by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. An anchor light comprising, in combination, a hollow case, an anchorand reel carried within said case providing means for anchoring saidanchor light in water, a hand crank and clutch carried within said caseproviding outlet means for said anchor and retrieving means therefor, afloat carried within said case providing release of said reel andsimultaneous raising of a battery to make electrical contact with a lampcarried by said case, means for vertical movement of said float betweenlower and upper position within said case whereby said reel is releasedand said battery operates in response to said lloat movement, a hollow,colored lens secured to the top end wall of said case, said lensreceiving said lamp which emits light when in operation by automaticmeans, and said anchor light is dropped into a large body of water, the-lower end wall of said case having an opening receiving an anchor andan anchor cage secured within said case to said end wall over saidopening and being provided with a plurality of openings for receivingwater into said case, said case being provided with a plurality ofspaced apart openings for further receiving water within said case tooperate the components automatically.

v 3 of said float and said projection moves away from a pin secured tothe outer edge at one side of said reel and said anchor within said cageand said opening of said end Wall is allowed to descend and anchor saiddevice when it reaches the bottom ofsaid body of Water, and said clutchis provided with angular teeth and disengages its halves during thedescent of said anchor. Y

4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein said oat when releasingsaid reel containing nylon line secured Y to said anchor simultaneouslyurges ysaid battery case containing said battery upwardly to contactelectrical terminals of said battery to spring the `V-shaped electrical'terminals Withinthe upper end Wall of said case and by its wiring tosaid lamp Within said lens to light said device so that the location ofa vessel or craft may be observed,

and a reiiector Within said lens aids in reecting light from said lamp.Y 5. The combination according to claim 4 wherein a crank shaft issecured to one half of said clutch, and the other half of said clutch issecnredto said shaft receiving said reel, and a coil spring urgesagainst one half of f said clutch at one end and one end Vof said coilurges against a shoulder upon said shaft receiving said reel, Vand saidcrank is received Within a recess in said case and provides retrievingmeans for said anchor.

References Citedhy the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FERGUS SilvIIDDLE'ION,L Prr'rrrmry Examiner.

1. AN ANCHOR LIGHT COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A HOLLOW CASE, AN ANCHORAND REEL CARRIED WITHIN SAID CASE PROVIDING MEANS FOR ANCHORING SAIDANCHOR LIGHT IN WATER, A HAND CRANK AND CLUTCH CARRIED WITHIN SAID CASEPROVIDING OUTLET MEANS FOR SAID ANCHOR AND RETRIEVING MEANS THEREFOR, AFLOAT CARRIED WITHIN SAID CASE PROVIDING RELEASE OF SAID REEL ANDSIMULTANEOUS RAISING OF A BATTERY TO MAKE ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH A LAMPCARRIED BY SAID CASE, MEANS FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF SAID FLOAT BETWEENLOWER AND UPPER POSITION WITHIN SAID CASE WHEREBY SAID REEL IS RELEASEDAND SAID BATTERY OPERATES IN RESPONSE TO SAID FLOAT MOVEMENT, A HOLLOW,COLORED LENS SECURED TO THE TOP END WALL OF SAID CASE, SAID LENSRECEIVING SAID LAMP WHICH EMITS LIGHT WHEN IN OPERATION BY AUTOMATICMEANS, AND SAID ANCHOR LIGHT IS DROPPED INTO A LARGE BODY OF WATER, THELOWER END WALL OF SAID CASE HAVING AN OPENING RECEIVING AN ANCHOR AND ANANCHOR CAGE SECURED WITHIN SAID CASE TO SAID END WALL OVER SAID OPENINGAND BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS FOR RECEIVING WATER INTOSAID CASE, SAID CASE BEING PROVIVED WITH A PLURALITY OF SPACED APARTOPENINGS FOR FURTHER RECEIVING WATER WITHIN SAID CASE TO OPERATE THECOMPONENTS AUTOMATICALLY.